The Perfect Family

22

PAISLEYS POV

Beep. Beep. Beep.

  Was that my alarm clock for school? I tried opening my eyes, knowing mommy would be coming in soon to help me get ready. I tried shifting my weight, but my entire body screamed in resistance. There was a weight on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. I let out a tiny whimper, trying to shove off whatever—or whoever— was on it.To make matters worse, there was a pounding in my head. Maybe mommy would let me stay home from school.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I opened my eyes, the hospital ceiling greeting me. I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. Why wasn't mommy here? I began breathing heavily, the beeping steadily increasing. Why wasn't it stopping?!

  "Paisley darling, are you ok?" Mabel asked suddenly shifting to the side of the bed. Wait.

   The memories slowly floated back to my head of the house and this horrible woman, who was always trying to replace mommy. I opened my lips, a scream erupting from the pit of my stomach. Mabel looked shocked, before wrapping her hands around my throat, telling me to shut up. I wiggled, scraping at her arms with my tiny nails, trying to get her hands off. Black spots danced in my vision, a calming black haze soon replacing them.My hands dropped, the energy gone from my limbs. Fear was the only thing left. I didn't want to die! There were so many things I still needed to do! Like the theme park that was right around the corner from the house! Everything was getting distant, as the air still refused to go into my lungs. I shook, tears spilling from my eyes.

   "Ma'am? What ARE you doing?" One of the nurses screamed coming into the tiny room. I smiled their voices getting distant. I watched through slitted eyes as Mabel was yanked from the side of my bed, and shoved to the floor. Now there were police officers in the room. I inhaled sharply, the smell of bleach and other chemicals burning my throat as I began to breathe heavily. The black haze disappeared, and I sat up gasping for air.

   "Paisley, just lean back. We have an oxygen mask right here for you, and you're parents are on their way.." The nurse stated before I fell back, the darkness wrapping me in its embrace once again.

---
SUMMERS POV

"Summer, wake up! You're parents are an hour away." The receptionist lightly tapped me, awakening me from my nightmare filled sleep. I stretched, my eyes glancing around the tiny room.

   "And Paisley?" I asked getting to my feet from the cot. I shuddered in the cold air, wrapping my arms around my torso.

   "She's alright. She's still in the hospital, but her parents are going to get her. Do you by any chance know how we can contact Nicole's parents?" She asked guiding me towards the front of the building. I thought for a moment, but couldn't think of a way.

   "Are they not answering their phone?" I asked, my mind slowly tracing back to what Nicole said years ago. She claimed they didn't care about her, but wouldn't they want to know if their daughter was murdered?

   "We have tried—multiple times—to contact them on their phones. But they won't pick up." Her eyes searched my face, but all I could give her was a shrug.

  "Maybe try sending officers to her house? Nicole told me a couple years ago that her parents never cared about her, so she came to live with us." I slowly explained, my eyes flicking towards the door nervously.

   "Well, I guess we can just tell your parents, and we can send officers to her house if needed." She replied before leaving me in the waiting room, her heels clicking loudly as she walked towards the back again. I sank into one of the plastic chairs, leaning my head back against the wall. I closed my eyes slowly when the front doors crashed open, sending me flying from the chair in surprise. It was Mabel, her lands locked in handcuffs behind her back. Her hair looked wild, and blood stained her clothes. She was screaming loudly, thrashing against the cops who were holding her tightly. She turned her head, finally noticing me, her body suddenly becoming calm.

    "Summer!" She exclaimed, pulling free from the cops and running over. I scooted back my heart beginning to thud against my chest. I looked into her gleaming eyes, as I watched her movements. The cops slowly walked up behind her, their hands outstretched.

   "They're both dead because of you, did you know that?" She whispered, crouching down in front of me. My blood turned to ice in my veins as I broke out in a cold sweat. I licked my suddenly dry lips, my heart thudding even louder.

   "W-Who?" I whispered backing up even more. She smelled like sweat and death, and the scent of it was making me sick.

   "My husband. And I can't forget your little toy. You remember Max, don't you?" She whispered slowly standing up straight again. I froze, and I even think my heart stopped for two seconds.

   "H-How? How did they die? HOW IS MAX DEAD?" I screamed, my lungs beginning to hurt. I held back the tears, as I rose to my feet, anger replacing my sadness.

   "Your husband he deserve it. Nicole is dead because of him, and Paisley is in the hospital because of BOTH OF YOU. But Max? He never deserved what he got. He doesn't deserve to be dead. But you know who does? You do Mabel. Because you're a psycho bitch." I screamed, my entire body shaking as I continued stepping back, my palms itching as I watched her.

    She grinned before letting out a fit of giggles, before the cops finally grabbed her, dragging her away. She yanked on her arms trying to break away again before she looked up, her eyes meeting mine one last time. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that gleaming look in her eyes.
—
1 year later

    The gravestones gleamed in the sunlight as my feet crunched against the freshly fallen snow. Paisley slowly walked next to me, brushing her hands against the gravestones as we walked past them. We climbed the hill in silence before we stopped in front of  Nicole's grave. I handed the flowers to Paisley and watched her carefully place them on the grave. I stared longingly at the headstone my heart tightening.

    "Summer, I'm going to the car. I don't want to stand here anymore." Paisley whispered before she climbed down the hill. I glared after her. We hadn't even been standing out here for that long.

    "Hey Nicole.." I whispered, taking a seat on the cold ground. I shivered slightly as I picked a rose up, slowly picking the petals from the flower.

   "We all miss you here. Everyone at school is still upset. And mom and dad.." I chuckled allowing my sentence to trail off.

  "I miss you Nicole. And everything is different since you've been gone. Just know that I love you, and I'll always be your sister, ok?" I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks. Snow began to fall again, as I climbed to my feet.

   "Happy birthday Nicole.." I whispered once more before trudging back down the hill leaving the past behind.
—
AHHHH THAT WAS THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS BOOOOOKKKKK!!! I'm going to miss all of you, but don't worry i'll be backkk!

  Make sure to keep your eyes out for my next book that's going to be coming out really soon!

    this book will be going under rewrites and grammar fixes so if anyone has any ideas or can help, please PM me! i can most definitely use it!

have a nice day everyone!

-Maegan